# Going to Cuba



## crash-wizard (Sep 14, 2013)

Ok BOTL, I will be in Cuba in September and will be visiting several LCDH shops. I know enough to avoid the "cuban" cigars in cellophane or in a plexiglass covered box and will only buy at a LCDH. While an unlimited budget to get to the magic 100 cigar limit for me and 100 for my wife to bring back would be ideal, I may not have the finances. (My wife has not been able to work since January 1 due to an injury).

Let's say I am able to budget $500 for cigars to bring home. I'm thinking a couple of boxes, a few singles and a few customs rolled by (for example) Alejandro at the Hotel Comodoro Cigar Shop.

Suggestions?

On your mark...
Get set...
GO!!!


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

@curmudgeonista .. @bpegler @TonyBrooklyn

This one's for yunz.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

I've never been, but from what I hear you're on the right track with the customs. Other than that maybe factory unicorns. No sense in wasting your quota on stuff that's easy to find without making the trip.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

Custom rolls my friend!

Reynaldo at Hotel Conde de Villanueva:
Cimarron 









Alex at Comodoro Hotel:
Diademas









Juanita at Hotel Melia Cohiba:
Elefantes 









They all are rolling exceptional cigars right now. Imho, a better deal than you will find on regular production, which are only a little cheaper on the Island. Try a few singles, find what you like, and buy a few bundles.

Of course they roll plenty of smaller cigars, not just the monsters I smoke.

Enjoy your trip!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/travel/cuban-cigars.html

I must concur with Mr. Pegler . 
Why would you buy anything that was regular production.
You can always buy cigars like that anywhere when money is not so tight.
Then again if it where me personally in this juncture of my life.
I would secure as much funds as possible.
And worry about how to pay it back when things got better.
$500 just don't buy much these days.
Quite frankly budget anything has never worked for me.
Life is just too short, enjoy the trip!


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## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

I know it has been nearly 3 years since anyone posted in this thread, but do you know any custom rollers in varadero? There is supposed to be someone named Alphonso at an lcdh there, but that post (elsewhere) is several years old.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

scott1256ca said:


> I know it has been nearly 3 years since anyone posted in this thread, but do you know any custom rollers in varadero? There is supposed to be someone named Alphonso at an lcdh there, but that post (elsewhere) is several years old.


Paging... @bpegler 

Thanks Bob

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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

I don’t know where the rollers are anymore. I believe that Alex is here in the US for an extended vacation, but that’s about it. It’s been very hard for the house rollers.


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## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

That is unfortunate. Worst comes to worst I'll have to buy a box of cigars to smoke. .... Won't that be just awful


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## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

Thought I'd follow up for you.
I did get my cigars, but not in Varadero. I went to Havana and got my cigars at an lcdh.
Got to the resort fairly late in the evening and saw a humidor in the lounge. I figured I'd get one from them but they couldn't find the key to the humidor. Told me to come back in the morning. I did. They couldn't find the key to the humidor.  There was another shop in the lobby and I picked up a couple of small Romeo & Julieta to tide me over until I could get to a real shop.
I talked to our tour guide ... not really a tour guide, but the all inclusive was part of a package and this was the rep who could arrange tours for our trip. I mentioned going to Havana for a day trip, since I've never been and was told it would be worthwhile, cigars aside. I also mentioned I wanted some time to get some cigars. They had a day trip with a walking tour and he said that would give us a couple of hours after the walking tour to do what we wanted. Sounded good to me. As I was getting on the bus at the start of the day, the day trip tour guide said he heard I was looking for cigars and he'd steer me to a good place. For me this sent up a red flag, but I figured I'd at least have a look. 

Turns out part of the walking tour was going into a cigar shop. Not an lcdh. Looked like a serious place, but we are talking about 30 people piling in from a bus tour. Sure enough I watch as one woman picks up a cigar out of a box, lowers her mask, runs the cigar under her nose and puts it back in the box. I just kept my mouth shut. I had to spend several more hours with these people and it wasn't my shop, or my cigar she shoved under her nose. I felt like asking her if we were at lunch and I picked up a piece of beef off her plate and ran it under my nose, then put it back on her plate, if she'd want to put it in her mouth, but I restrained myself.  

I looked in the walk in humidor in this place and EVERY box I could see had the both the white "Habanos" and the "Republica de Cuba" seals cut. As soon as I saw that I knew there was no way I was going to buy cigars from this shop.

So I waited until after walking tour and was going to take a cab to an lcdh. But the tour guy said we had only an hour. I'd written down addresses for a couple of lcdh in Havana, but I had no idea where the tour was going to be taking place and the spots I had were a ways away. Managed to find a cab, some late 50s chevy, who wanted to take us on another tour, but finally got through to him that all I wanted was to get to an lcdh, and get back. Negotiated a fair price and he took me to the Romeo & Julieta lcdh. I did check and it did say that.  Got my cigars faster than I wanted and got out.
A couple of boxes of Bolivar Belicosos Finos which I have enjoyed in the past. They had no boxes of 25 of the Monte Cristo #2, but I did pick up a box of 10 for smoking while I was in Cuba. Also a cabinet of Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure # 2 (which my friend brought back on my behalf). I've also enjoyed those in the past, but they didn't have other things I might have preferred. The stuff I brought back was spring 2021. The Monte Cristo's I smoked in Cuba were from Feb 2020. They were nice, but it is so humid there that by the end they were requiring some relights and I had to puff very slowly to keep them from getting bitter.

The lcdh in Varadero wouldn't let me in the humidor, but after watching that woman in Havana, I'm not sure I can blame them. But it meant I couldn't browse and check prices on the bottom of the boxes. At that point I already had my cigars from Havana, so I wasn't going to purchase from them anyhow.

All in all a very enjoyable trip. Anyone from Canada thinking of going soon, take a handful of U.S. $1's for tips and lots of CDN $5's for other things. Most places won't make change and many won't even take Cuban Pesos. That can make it kind of difficult to buy stuff, since many won't take credit cards either. Fortunately the lcdh does take credit cards.


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